Silverware shelves



p 8, 1959 J. J: WEINSTOCK 2,90 ,211

' v SILVERWARE SHELVES Filed Sept. 19, 1955 E HylE/NTOR -ATTORNEY SILVERWARE SHELVES Jacques J. Weinstock, Flushing, N .Y.

Application. September 19, 1955, Serial No. 535,050

3 Claims. (Cl. 248-'37.6)

The invention here presented is a new and useful storage rack for the support and protection of table flatware by which the flatware is held in readily accessible position and stored in the minimum of space with a convenient means for access thereto when the silverware is wanted for use on the table; the invention taking the form of a rack having particularly arranged and positioned recesses or receivers for the several types and kinds of flatware.

The trend in our modern living toward more and more compact abodes, especially in apartments, has resulted in a serious reduction in the amount of available space for the storage of tableware of all sorts, and in many households, the table flatware is merely thrown into a drawer or a compartmental receptacle, where the various pieces come into contact with each other, resulting in serious injury to the flatware, both from scratching of one piece by another, and undue wear because of the constant shuflling back and forth of the various pieces against each other. Likewise silver flatware merely thrown into a drawer or even into a compartmented receptacle, is rarely conveniently available with the result that the setting of the table is materially slowed because of the necessity for picking out, carefully, from the random mixture, the necessary pieces for the table. This results in a type of inefficiency in the household which is out of keeping and out of character with the rest of the household equipment, in which a maximum efficiency is obtained.

According to the present invention, there is provided a special rack, taking the general form of a shelf, in which there are provided slots of varying shapes, for the reception of the various pieces of silverware, the shelf having longitudinal serrations, grooves, or ridges, into which the silver flatware settles, and whereby each piece is firmly held in the proper position to give a maximum protection to each piece, and a maximum availability and efliciency. In addition the shelf may if desired be arranged with portions at different levels, according to the effective length of the blades or handles of the several pieces of silver flatware, whereby when the pieces are stored on the rack, the tops of the various lengths of the pieces make a uniform, even row which greatly improves the appearance, and the readiness of availability of the several pieces. This is desirable primarily for the proper positioning of modern longer-handle shorterblade knives. The shelf usually need have only 2 steps.

Thus the invention provides a shelf, having slots therein and grooves in its upper surface, the arrangement of slots and grooves being such that the grooves hold each piece of flatware strictly in its own proper position, and prevent the jumbling of the several pieces, and in addition the several pieces are arranged in such a way as to be particularly convenient for removal and replacement while being held firmly in separated positions but in a minimum of space during storage. Also, the serrations or grooves hold the individual pieces firmly enough so that the rack may be used on the inner surface of a atent G 2,903,21 1 Patented Sept. 8, 1959 ice cupboard door. The pieces cannot be accidentally displaced by normal use of such a door.

Thus the device of the invention provides a shelf, stepped if desired to equalize and even the tops of the stored silverware, each portion of the shelf being provided with slots and a serrated or grooved upper surface for the reception of the silver flatware, whereby each piece is individually positioned to prevent scratching and undue wear, whereby also a maximum ease of removal and replacement is obtained. The shelf is particularly adapted to mounting in otherwise unused space, such as the inside of a closet or cupboard door, or a convenient place on a kitchen wall or other type of vertical surface which is otherwise unused. Other objects and details of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top view of a shelf according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the shelf of the invention, and Figure 3 is a view in perspective of the shelf of the invention.

Figure 4 is a front view of a step shelf adapted to bring the tops of various items of silver flatware along an even line.

Referring to the figures, there is provided a primary shelf board member 1, having a plurality of slot members 2, the various slot members being provided of a suitable width to hold the respective items of flatware, and of a sufficient depth to hold the required number of pieces which may be 2, 4, 6, 8, or the like, place settings.

The shelf member 1 may conveniently be attached directly to the inside of a door or a wall or other support, but it is preferably attached to a backboard member 5 to which it may be be fastened by screws passed through the backboard 5 into the shelf member 1, and additional support is conveniently provided by end members 6 which may be semi-circular if desired or may be square or have other contours according to the makers ideas of ornamentation. Also the various portions of the shelf member 1 may conveniently be supported by bracket numbers 7 which may consist of a single bracket, or may be separate brackets for each tongue of the shelf number 1.

The shelf member 1 may also be covered with a fabric coating 8 which may consist of a layer of thin felt or woven cloth containing camphor or some similar tarnish reducer, or the tarnish reducer may be thrown on or over the shelf in any desired manner.

The upper surface of the board 1, may then be provided with serrations as shown in Figure 2 extending the entire length of the board, or the serrations may be provided only adjacent the edges of the slot, as desired, these being shown at 3 in the figure. Curved grooves, or raised ribs may also be used to position the pieces in a variation of the serrations shown. Also, it is desirable to have a concave curvature to the serration'surface on which the shoulders of the various pieces rest. By this procedure, a separate slot or position may be provided for each type of flatware, knives, forks, salad forks, soup spoons, teaspoons, and the like. However, for knives, it is usually preferable to provide long narrow slots, which are closed at the front end, as shown at 4 in Figure 1. These slots should be of a width only suflicient to take the blade of the knife with liberal clearance, but too small to allow the haft or handle of the knife to slip through. Notches may similarly be provided if desired, and several knives may be set into each narrow slot, or, if desired, separate slots may be provided of such a size as to hold one knife only, this item depending upon the choice of the user.

Since the handles and blades of the several pieces vary in length, according to the particular piece chosen, the several pieces will project greater or less distance and the user can pick out the piece or pieces which he wants according'to the height above theshelf.

Alternatively however the shelf may be stepped according to the height of the succesive handles, being governed by the relative heights of the several pieces as the handles project above the shelf; the knife portion being on the lowest step, the fork portion perhaps being next and so on until the several steps are provided. This has the advantage that all of the upper ends of the several pieces comeon the same level, making perhaps a better looking appearance. In the case of the modern longer-handle shorter-blade knife, a lower step for the knife portion of the rack permits all of the pieces to be stored with a minimum use of overall vertical distance;

The shelf may be finished in natural wood or may be, given a coat of paint as desired, to match the decor of the kitchen, or dining room, or dinette, in which it is positioned. Alternatively however the shelf may be covered with velvet or other fabric, charged with a rustpreventer or tarnish-preventer as desired. Alternatively, any ofthe other various wood finishes may be used,

For the shelf, almost any desired material may be used; That is, the shelf may be made of some convenient woodwhich may be given any of the usual Wood finishes. Alternatively the shelf may be made in the form of a metal stamping again being finished according to the users desires, either with a solid color or with an imitation wood; grain, or with decorative effects as desired. Alternatively the shelf may be formed from moulded composition as desired, such as Bakelite or the ureaformaldehyde resins, or the melamine resins or the newer ester gum resins. Or as still another alternative, the shelf may be cast either die cast, or sand cast as desired.

Supporting means are provided in any one of various dilferent forms. A convenient method of support, is by the use of long horizontal screws, passing through the body of the shelf parallel to the upper surface, and into a wall. Alternatively a simple bracket structure may be provided, above or below the ends of the shelves, or a long end board as is particularly well shown in Figure 3 may be provided. If the shelf is made of molded composition or stamped metal, or cast metal, appropriate brackets or mounting lugs are conveniently provided as an integral part of the shelf.

By this construction there is thus provided a shelf member having slots with serrated upper edges, for the positioning and holding of silver flatware in a conveniently available position such as to be readily removable by the user, and to be free from contact between the various pieces, thereby avoiding scratching and other damage.

While there are above disclosed but a limited number of embodiments of the device and constructionv of the.

invention, it is possible to provide still other embodiments without departing from the inventive concept herein disclosed and it is therefore desired that only such limitations be imposed upon the appended claims as are stated therein or required by the prior art.

The invention claimed is:

1. A table flatware holder comprising in combination, a backboard, end wings attached thereto, and a shelf member attached to said backboard and positioned between sard end wings, the combination being adapted to be mounted with the backboard in a vertical. position on a wall or door; the shelf being characterized by a plurality of slotsat the rear side. thereof, closed by the backboard, for the support of table knives, and a plurality of open slots, the openings being on the opposite side of the shelf from the backboard, for the support of forks, spoons and the like, the top of the shelf, adjacent to the open slots being serrated to provide notched edges for the support of the plurality of pieces of silverware in each slot, the front ends of the shelf, adjacent to the slots, being provided with a raised projection to aid the retaining of the silverware in their respective slots.

2. A table flatware holder comprising in combination, a backboard, end wings attached thereto, and a shelf member attached to said backboard and positioned between said end wings, the combination being adapted to be mounted with the backboard in a vertical position on a wall or door; the shelf being characterized by a plurality of slots at the rear side thereof, closed by the backboard, for the support of table knives, and a plurality of open slots, the openings being on the opposite side of the shelf from the backboard, for the support of forks, spoons and the like, the top of the shelf, adjacent to the open slots being serrated to provide notched edges for the support of the plurality of pieces of silverware in each slot, the front ends of the shelf, adjacent to the slots, being provided with a raised projection to aid the retaining of the silverware in their respective slots, and bracket members positioned between the underside of the slotted shelf and the backboard for the support of the several sections of the shelf carrying the serrations for flat silver.

3. A table flatware holder comprising in combination, a backboard, end wings attached thereto, and a shelf member attached to said backboard and positioned between said end wings, the combination being adapted to be mounted with the backboard in a vertical position on a Wall or door; the shelf being characterized by a plurality of slots at the rear. side thereof, closed by the backboard, for the support of table knives, and a plurality of open slots, the openings being on the opposite side of the shelf from the backboard, for the support of forks, spoons and the like, the top of the shelf, adjacent to the open slots being serrated to provide notched edges for the support of the plurality of pieces of silverware in each slot, the front ends of the shelf, adjacent to the slots, being provided with a raised projection to aid the retaining of the silverware in their respective slots, and bracket members positioned between the underside of the slotted shelf and the backboard for the support of the several sections of the shelf carrying the serrations for flat silver, the said brackets and end pieces having curved outer contours to give maximum strength with minimum bulk of material, various portions. of the serrations in the shelf being elevated above the shelf proper, sufliciently to bring'the upper ends of silverware held therein, into an evenline.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

